Understanding the Limits of LoRaWAN
Abstract
Low-Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) technology
offers long-range communication, which enables new types
of services. Several solutions exist; LoRaWAN is arguable
the most adopted. It promises ubiquitous connectivity in
outdoor IoT applications, while keeping network structures,
and management, simple. This technology has received a lot
of attention in recent months from network operators and
solution providers. Yet, the technology has limitations that
need to be clearly understood to avoid inflated expectations
and disillusionment. This article provides an impartial and
fair overview of what the capabilities and the limitations of
LoRaWAN are. We discuss those in the context of use cases,
and list open research and development questions.